Make An Incredible First Impression

The other day I had an opportunity to tour a local direct mail processing facility. Imagine my surprise when I entered the lobby at TC Specialties and there, right up front and personal, was a lovely sign that said: "TC Specialties Welcomes Phyllis Heisler AMP Promotional Products". Well I was completely blown away. But let me back up a little so that you can get the full impact.

Rita Leon from TCS had been most professional in approaching me as a prospective business alliance. She introduced herself personally at a networking event, asking only for the opportunity to contact me later for an appointment. She followed up in writing to set the date and time, confirmed with an email that automatically placed the appointment on my Outlook calendar, and reminded me of the appointment in advance. Rita came to the initial meeting armed with a list of questions about my business and prepared to show me what her company could do to help AMP customers. Only after this first "qualifying" appointment, did Rita extend the offer to tour the facility.

As I walked toward the lobby on the day of my tour, I was expecting a smooth experience. No doubt Rita had done her job telling the receptionist about our appointment, so no stress there. But to be welcomed by a great-looking sign right there in the lobby for everyone to see- what a shock! This was one of the most creative and simple ideas I had ever seen to make a person feel welcome and to set the tone of a meeting. Now I eagerly approached the receptionist with a purpose... I had to find out who thought of such a thing.

I learned that the lady at the front desk was not only a cheerful and delightful receptionist- Marjorie Currie is the office administrator, and the creative genius behind the welcome sign! She had the idea, found the right product to present it professionally, and personally maintains the sign by changing all those little letters around to perfectly spell the name and company of each guest!

Mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once said, "The vitality of thought is in adventure. Ideas won't keep. Something must be done about them." Having this wonderful experience at TC Specialties got me to thinking about how easy it is to make an incredible and remarkable first impression when you have a creative idea and the gumption to follow it up.

Kudos to Marjorie, Rita, and those at TC Specialties who have given these ladies the opportunity to exercise their brilliance.